Hedge cutter



Feb. 14, 1933. c. A. ALBRECHT 1,897,543

HEDGE CUTTER Filed March 17, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 14, 1933. c. A.ALBRECHT HEDGE CUTTER Filed March 17, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. A.ALBRECHT 1,897,543

HEDGE CUTTER Feb. 14, 1933.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17, 1932 Qwtmntot Patented Feb. 14, 1933UNITED STATES CHARLES A. ALBRECHT, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA HEDGE CUTTERApplication filed March 17, 1932. Serial No. 599,523.

My invention relates to a hedge cutter and has for its object to providea cutter adjustably mounted on a wheeled carriage and operable throughmovement of the carriage wheels to cut the top of the hedge as thecarria e is moved along the side thereof.

1% further object is to provide dual operating means for the cutterenabling the selective operation thereof either by a hand crank or by adrive connection with the wheels of the carriage.

A still further object is to provide a specially designed cutter elementfor hedges and the like.

9 Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of theabove-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction,reliable and efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

U Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, formlng a 9 part of this specification andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine,

Figure 2 is a section thru the axle showing the inner side of one of thewheels and the casting for the rear housing in elevation,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectlonal view through the adjustable shafthousing,

Figure 4 is a detail of the ratchet drive connection,

Figure 5 isa sectional view thru the upper connection for the adjustableshaft,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top-plan view of the cutter,

Figure 7 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of the cutter in perspective,

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view thereof, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the shaft housingshowing the removable connecting plug for inserting an added section.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I .have showna preferred embodiment of my invention, a carriage vis shown consistingof an axle 5 having wheels 6 journalled on the ends thereof. Thecarriage is pushed along the ground by a hair die 7 connected to theaxle by means of a 55 yoke 8, the ends of which are pivoted on the ax e.

The wheels are formed with" an internal gear 9 engaged by pinions 1'0-10carried at a the outer ends of a shaft 11' extending through a gearhousing 13, the ends of the shaft being journalled in a pair of shafthousings 1212. The gear housing is formed at one side of a casting 14which is provided with an opening through which the axle 5 is insertedforsupport thereon, and secured in position by a stud 1 5. Plates 1"6are fixedly supported on the axle for covering the inner sides of thewheels 6 and have openings through which the outer ends of the shaft 11and housings l2'-'12 are inserted. Arms 17 project rearwardly fromth'eplates upon which ground rollers 18 are mounted for supporting the shafthousings 1212 and the rear end of the casting 14, The plates 16 alsocarry clamping brackets 19 through which the ends of the yoke 8- areinserted for adjustably securing the handle in elevated position. I

The'pinions 10 are provided with a ratchet engagement with the outerends of the shaft 11, the pinions having a central opening 20 formedwith spaced recesses 21'within which balls 22 are partially seated. Theends of the'shaft 11 inserted through the openings are formed withpockets 23 having one edge 24 inclined from the radial plane of theshaft to wedge the balls in one portion of the pockets upon rotation ofthe pinion in one i direction, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 96 4cof the drawings, and to permit the balls to ride freely in the pocketsupon a reverse movement of the pinion. Thus upon the rotation of tlrewheels'9 in a forward direction the power will be transmitted totheshaft 11, while a rearward movement of the wheels will cause the shafttoidle.

A telescoping shaft housing indicated generally at 25 rises verticallyfrom the gear housing 13, the sections of the shaft housing beingsecured in vertically adjusted position by a set-screw 26. A lower shaftsection 27, square-shaped in cross section, extends upwardly in thehousing and is connected at its lower end with the shaft- 11 by bevelgears 28 and 29. A tubular shaft section 30 is provided with a squaredbore for receiving the upper end of the shaft section 27 the upper endof thetubular shaft section extending within a gear housing 31 supportedon the upper end of the housing 25.

A horizontal shaft 32' extends from one side of the gear housing 31 andis connectedat one end to the shaft section 30 by bevel gears 33 and 34.The opposite end of the shaft 32 extends within a gear housing 35 withinwhich is journalled a transverse shaft 36 connected to the shaft 32 bybevel gears 37 and 38. The two gear housings 31 and 35 are connected bya tubular arm 39 within which the horizontal shaft is journalled.

A reciprocating cutter is supported by the gear housing 35 and comprisesa stationary cutter bar 40 and a movable cutter bar 41, the formerhaving a yoke 42 at its inner end which straddles the housing 35 and hasits ends pivotally mounted on the ends of the shaft 36, which projecttherefrom. A crank 43 is fixedly mounted on one end of the shaft .36 andis connected with the movable cutter bar 41 by means of a connecting rod44, which has one end attached to the crank pin 45 of the crank and itsopposite end pivotally connected with the cutter bar 41, as at 46.

Thus it will be seen, the cutter is readily adjustable to assume eithera horizontal or vertical position with respect to the ground and is heldin its adjusted position by a set screw 47 which extends through anarcuate slot 48 in one end of the yoke 42 and is screwed into the sideof the housing 35.

The upper surface of the cutter bar 40 is formed with a longitudinalgroove 49 within which is slidably seated a bar 50 secured to the underside of the individual teeth 51, of which the cutter bar 41 is formed.The bar and groove cooperate to guide the movable cutter bar during itsoperation. Spring fingers 52 secured to the rear edge of the stationarybar overlie the top of the movable bar to releasably secure the movablebar in position.

The teeth 53 provided on the stationary bar have their upper surfacesrecessed as at 54 to provide double edges 55 cooperating with the edgesof the teeth 51 of the movable bar. The surface of the teeth 53 arenotched as shown at 56 and the outer ends of the teeth 53 project beyondthe outer edges of the teeth 51 to prevent the twigs of the hedge fromslipping ofi the teeth.

On the end'of the shaft 36, opposite from the crank 43, is secured ahand crank or wheel 57 which provides an independent operating means forthe cutter and intended for use when the machine is moving slowly aswhen turning the corner of the hedge. The ratchet connection between thepinions 10 and shaft 11 will enable the cutter to be operated at anincreased speed by the hand crank without necessitating a correspondingspeed in the movement of the carriage. 7

Should it be desired to use the device for cutting hedges of an unusualheight, additional sections of the housing 25 and tubular shaft 30 maybe inserted through the use of the coupling member 58 threaded in thelower end of the shaft 30 and provided with a squared opening 59 intowhich the ends of thesquared shaft sections 27 are inserted.

I claim:

1. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a cutter bar supportedin elevated position thereon, a drive connection for the cutter bar withthe wheels of the carriage and auxiliary operating means for the cutterbar.

2. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a cutter bar supportedin elevated position thereon and dual operating means for said cutterbar. 1 3. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a cutter barsupported in elevated position thereon, a drive connection forthe cutterbar with the wheels of the carriage and auxiliary operating means forthe cutter bar interposed in said'drive connection.

4. A hedge'cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a cutter bar supportedin elevated position thereon, a drive connection for the cutter bar withthe wheels of the carriage and a hand crank operatively associated withsaid drive connection providing independent operating means for thecutter bar.

5. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a cutter baroperatively supported in elevated position thereon, a drive connectionfor the cutter bar with the wheels of the carriage for operating thecutter bar upon movement of the wheels in one direction,.said connectionbeing disengaged from the wheels upon a reverse movement of the wheels,and auxiliary drive means for the cutter bar interposed in said driveconnection.

6. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, an upright'shaftrotatably supported thereon, gears operatively connecting the lower endof the shaft with the wheels of the carriage, a cutter bar adj ustablysupported in elevated position on the carriage, gears operativelyconnecting the shaft with said cutter bar, a shaft for one of said lastnamed gears, and a manually operated crank connected to said last namedshaft.

7. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, a vertically extensibleshaft rotatably supported thereon, gears operatively connecting thelower. end of the shaft with the wheels of the carriage, a horizontalshaft rotatably supported at the upper end of said vertical shaft, acutter bar pivotally sup ported at one end, gears operatively connectingsaid shafts with the cutter bar, and independent manual operating meansfor the out ter bar attached to said horizontal shaft.

8. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage including an axle, agear housing secured to the axle, a shaft projecting from the side ofthe housing and operatively connected with the wheels of the carriage, avertical shaft extending upwardly from the housing, gears within thehousing operative- 1y connecting said shafts and a reciprocating cutteroperatively connected with said ver tical shaft.

9. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage including an axle, agear housing secured to the axle, a shaft projecting from the side ofthe housing and operatively connected with the wheels of the carriage, atelescoping shaft housing rising from said gear housing, means forsecuring the same in vertically adjusted position, a verticallyadjustable shaft in said shaft housing, gears operatively connectingsaid shafts and a reciprocating cutter operatively connected with theupper end of said vertical shaft.

10. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage including an axle, agear housing secured to the axle, a shaft projecting from the side ofthe housing and operatively con nected with the wheels of the carriage,a vertically adjustable shaft housing rising from the gear housing, asectional shaft therein comprising a shaft section of noncircularformation in cross-section and a second shaft section having a plugremovably fitted in one end provided with a recess for receiving saidfirst named shaft section, gears connecting the lower end of thesectional shaft to said first named shaft, a gear box on the upper endof the shaft housing, a reciprocating cutter adjustably supportedthereby, a crank shaft for the cutter and gears in the gear boxoperatively connecting said section shaft with said crank shaft.

11. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage, including an axlehaving a pair of wheels freely mounted thereon, internal gears on saidwheels, plates mounted on the axle enclosing said gears, a castingadjustably supported on said axle, a gear housing in one portion of thecasting, a pair of shaft housings connecting the opposite sides of saidgear housing with said plates, shafts in the housings operativelyconnected to the gears of the wheels, a shaft extending upwardly fromthe gear housing having a cutter opera tively mounted at its upper endand gears in the gear housing operatively connecting said shafts.

12. A hedge cutter comprising a wheeled carriage including an axlehaving a pair of wheels freely mounted thereon, internal gears carriedby said wheels, a pair of plates on the axle covering one side of thewheels, a casting having an opening therethrough adjacent one edge forreceiving the axle to support the front edge of the casting, a gearhousing in the rear of the casting, shaft housings projecting fromopposite sides thereof and connected to said plates for supporting therear of the casting, shafts journalled in the housings and operativelyconnected to the gears of said wheels, a shaft rising from the housinghaving a cutter operatively connected thereto and gears in the gearhousing operatively connecting said shafts.

13. A cutter comprising a stationary cutter bar having a longitudinalgroove therein, a reciprocating cutting member having a guide seated inthe groove and a plurality of angular clips carried by the stationarycutter for releasably holding the reciprocating cutting member incutting engagement.

14:. A cutter comprising a stationary cutter bar having teeth thereon,said teeth having their cutting surfaces recessed to provide doubleedges, said edges being serrated transversely and a movable cutter barhaving teeth cooperating in cutting relation With the serrated edges ofsaid stationary bar and terminating short of said stationary teeth.

15. A cutter comprising a stationary cutter bar and a movable cutterbar, one of said cutter bars having teeth formed with a plurality ofspaced parallel upstanding cutting edges.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES A. ALBRECHT.

